4

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

GRADE 4
ELEMENTARY-LEVEL
SCIENCE TEST
WRITTEN TEST
MAY 2004
Student Name
School Name
Print your name and the name of your school on the lines above.
The test has two parts. Parts I and II are in this test booklet.
Part I contains 30 multiple-choice questions. Record your answers to
these questions on the separate answer sheet. Use only a No. 2 pencil
on your answer sheet.
Part II consists of 11 open-ended questions. Write your answers to
Part II in this test booklet.
You will have as much time as you need to answer the questions.
DO NOT TURN THIS PAGE UNTIL YOU ARE TOLD TO DO SO.
Copyright 2004
THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
ALBANY, NEW YORK 12234
DIRECTIONS
There are 30 questions on Part I of this test. Each question is followed
by three or four choices, labeled AD. Read each question carefully.
Decide which choice is the best answer. On the separate answer sheet,
mark your answer in the row of circles for each question by filling in the
circle that has the same letter as the answer you have chosen. Use a
No. 2 pencil to mark the answer sheet.
Read Sample Question S-1 below.
The correct answer is ice, which is next to letter B. On your
answer sheet, look at the box showing the row of answer circles for
Sample Question S-1. See how the circle for letter B has been filled in.
S-1 Frozen water is called
A fog
B ice
C steam
D vapor
Grade 4 Science May 04 [2]
Now do Sample Question S-2. Mark your answer on the answer
sheet in the box showing the row of answer circles for Sample
Question S-2.
The correct answer is bird, which is next to letter A. On your
answer sheet, you should have filled in circle A.
Answer all 30 questions on Part I of this test. Fill in only one cir-
cle for each question. Be sure to erase completely any answer you want
to change. You may not know the answers to some of the questions, but
do the best you can on each one.
When you have finished Part I, go on to Part II. Answer all of the
questions in Part II in the space provided for each question.
S-2 Which animal has wings?
A bird
B frog
C mouse
D rabbit
Grade 4 Science May 04 [3] [OVER]
Part I
1 In New York State, the longest period of daylight occurs during which
month?
A June
B March
C December
D September
2 Sleet, rain, snow, and hail are forms of
A erosion
B evaporation
C groundwater
D precipitation
3 Water freezing is an example of a
A liquid changing to a solid
B solid changing to a liquid
C gas changing to a solid
D gas changing to a liquid
4 Which form of energy is needed to change water from a liquid to a gas?
A heat
B mechanical
C chemical
D sound
5 Which type of energy does a person use to pedal a bicycle?
A light
B sound
C mechanical
D electrical
Grade 4 Science May 04 [4]
6 Which object is the best conductor of electricity?
A a wax crayon
B a plastic spoon
C a rubber eraser
D an iron nail
Base your answers to questions 7 and 8 on the information below.
One hot, summer day it rained very heavily. After the rain,
a plastic pan on a picnic table had 2 cm of rainwater in it. Four
hours later, all the rainwater in the pan was gone.
7 Which process caused the rainwater in the pan to disappear as it sat
outside in the hot air?
A condensation
B evaporation
C precipitation
D erosion
Note that question 8 has only three choices.
8 If the day were cool instead of hot, the rainwater in the pan would have
disappeared
A slower
B faster
C in the same amount of time
9 Which characteristic can a human offspring inherit?
A facial scar
B blue eyes
C long hair
D broken leg
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Grade 4 Science May 04 [5] [OVER]
10 A ducks feathers are covered with a natural oil that keeps the duck dry.
This is a special feature ducks have that helps them
A feed their young
B adapt to their environment
C attract a mate
D search for food
11 The functions of a plants roots are to support the plant and
A make food
B produce fruit
C take in water and nutrients
D aid in germination
12 Which food is a fruit?
A a potato
B an onion
C a carrot
D a pumpkin
13 In which environment would a white rabbit be best protected from
predators?
A a shady forest
B a snowy field
C a grassy lawn
D a muddy riverbank
14 Frogs lay eggs that develop into tadpoles and then into adult frogs. This
sequence of changes is an example of how living things
A go through a life cycle
B form a food web
C act as a source of food
D affect other parts of the ecosystem
Grade 4 Science May 04 [6]
15 A mother hen clucks loudly when danger is near and her chicks quickly
gather around her. Which sense helps the chicks receive this warning
about danger from their mother?
A smell
B taste
C sight
D sound
16 The sunrise and sunset times for three days in February are recorded in
the chart below.
Source: www.sunrisesunset.com
Which statement is an accurate conclusion based on this information?
A There are more hours of daylight as the month goes by.
B There are fewer hours of daylight as the month goes by.
C The Sun rises later as the month goes by.
D The Sun sets earlier as the month goes by.
17 A group of buttons is shown in the diagram below.
Which button belongs with the group of buttons shown?
A B D C
Date Sunrise Sunset
February 8 7:00 a.m. 5:20 p.m.
February 15 6:50 a.m. 5:30 p.m.
February 22 6:40 a.m. 5:40 p.m.
Grade 4 Science May 04 [7] [OVER]
18 Which information is contained on this map of the United States?
A state capitals
B mountain ranges
C weather conditions
D animal populations
19 Temperatures below freezing are expected overnight. What might be
done to protect plants growing outside?
A trim the leaves
B weed them
C cover them
D give them plant food
20 A student reaches one hand into a bag filled with smooth objects. The
student feels the objects but does not look into the bag. Which property
of the objects can the student most likely identify?
A shape
B color
C ability to reflect light
D ability to conduct electricity
21 A student has a ball of clay that sinks when placed in a pan of water.
Which property should he change to make the clay float?
A color
B texture
C mass
D shape
Rain, 50F
Sunny, 65F
Snow, 28F
Partly
cloudy,
65F
Cloudy,
40F
Grade 4 Science May 04 [8]
22 A girl signals her friend by shining a flashlight on a mirror. Her friend
can see the signal because
A heat energy can be transferred from one object to another
B mechanical energy can be transferred from one object to another
C sound energy can be reflected from one object to another
D light energy can be reflected from one object to another
23 The thermometers below show the temperature of a liquid at the
beginning and at the end of an experiment.
How did the temperature of the liquid change from the beginning to the
end of the experiment?
A It went down 4F.
B It went down 8F.
C It went up 2F.
D It went up 10F.
24 Which part of a plant produces the seeds?
A flower
B leaves
C stem
D roots
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Beginning End
F F
Grade 4 Science May 04 [9] [OVER]
25 The diagram below shows an incomplete electrical circuit that includes a
battery, a bulb, and three wires labeled A, B, and C.
The bulb is not lit. What should be done in order to light the bulb and
complete the circuit?
A Remove wire C.
B Remove the battery.
C Connect wires B and C.
D Connect wires A and B.
26 The drawing below shows a copper wire with a wooden handle being held
in a flame.
After a few minutes, what will most likely happen?
A The light will change to electricity.
B The heat will travel through the wire.
C The flame will get brighter.
D The flame will go out.
+

A
C
B
Bulb
Battery
Grade 4 Science May 04 [10]
27 Fourth graders are planning a roller-skate race. Which surface would be
the best for this race?
A gravel
B sand
C blacktop
D grass
28 Which instrument would be best to measure the volume of a liquid?
A a pan balance
B a stopwatch
C a thermometer
D a graduated cylinder
29 What is one way that humans can maintain good health?
A sleep all day
B exercise daily
C eat snacks often
D stay up late
30 Two objects of the same mass are going to be placed the same distance
from the support of a balance beam. Which diagram shows where the
support should be placed under the beam so the objects will balance?
A
C
B
D
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Grade 4 Science May 04 [11] [OVER]
Part II
Directions (3141): Record your answers in the space provided below each
question.
Base your answers to questions 31 and 32 on the information and chart
below and on your knowledge of science.
Nutrients from food help the body grow and repair itself.
Calcium is needed to grow strong bones and teeth. Calcium is
found in many different foods. The chart below shows the
percentage of calcium per serving in some foods.
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
31 Which food from the chart has the lowest percentage of calcium per
serving? [1]
____________________________________________________________________
32 What is one reason to include calcium in a healthy diet? [1]
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Food
Percentage of Calcium
Per Serving*
Milk 30
Orange juice 2
Yogurt 30
Cheese 10
Baked beans 6
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Grade 4 Science May 04 [12]
Base your answers to questions 33 and 34 on the graph below and on your
knowledge of science. The graph shows a deer population in an area over a
period of seven years.
33 How many times was there a decrease in the deer population from one
year to the next over the seven-year period? [1]
times
34 Describe two factors that might have caused a decrease in the deer
population. [2]
(1)
(2)
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Year
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
N
u
m
b
e
r

o
f

D
e
e
r
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Grade 4 Science May 04 [13] [OVER]
35 a Some birds fly south in the fall. This seasonal adaptation is known as
migration. Explain why these birds migrate. [1]
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
b Give an example of another way that animals adapt to seasonal changes. [1]
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Base your answers to questions 36 and 37 on the diagram of a fish tank
below and on your knowledge of science.
36 Identify two living organisms in the diagram. [1]
(1)
(2)
37 Identify two nonliving objects in the diagram. [1]
(1)
(2)
Fish
Rock
Air
pump
Snail
Green
plants
Sunlight
Castle
Gravel
Grade 4 Science May 04 [14]
****************************************************
Base your answers to questions 38 through 40 on the food chain below
and on your knowledge of science.
38 Which organism in this food chain uses the Suns energy to produce food? [1]
39 Which organism in this food chain depends directly on plants for food? [1]
40 If a mouse dies and is not eaten by an owl, how do the nutrients from
the mouse go back into the food chain? [1]
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Oak tree Owl Mouse
(Not drawn to scale)
Sun
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Grade 4 Science May 04 [15] [OVER]
41 A company bought land in 1989 to build apartments. The diagram
labeled 1989 shows the land before the company built the apartments.
The diagram labeled 2001 shows the same land after the company built
the apartments.
a Describe one positive way that the organisms living in the area have
been affected by the changes shown in the diagrams. [1]
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
b Describe one negative way that the organisms living in the area have
been affected by the changes shown in the diagrams. [1]
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2001 After Development
Dam
Trees
Bird feeder
Bird
feeder
Squirrel
feeder
Apartment
building
Pond
1989 Before Development
Forest
Wetland
Slow-moving
stream
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Grade 4 Science May 04 [16]
For Teacher Use Only
Part II Credit
Question Maximum Credit
Credit Allowed
31 1
32 1
33 1
34 2
35 2
36 1
37 1
38 1
39 1
40 1
41 2
Total 14
Grade 4 Science May 04 [20]